A program that challenges teens to answer:

• Why has the tobacco industry spent over $100 million in Washington State alone advertising their product? And why is youth their main target?
• Why is tobacco, the only product on the market that used as intended will hurt or kill you, still legal?
• Why are cigarette ingredients not listed on the pack?
• How is tobacco the number one cause of preventable death?

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TATU Newsletter

Read our current TATU Newsletter and discover what TATU teens in your area are doing.

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What is currently happening around the state with TATU?

Project Awards

Deadlines:

• April 30 - monthly applications due through this date
• June 5 - Project Award paperwork must be completed

Download Project Award Application here.

Winners:

View our 2008-2009 TATU Project Award winners.

Teens Against Tobacco abUse

The TATU program has been adapted to reflect the role of traditional tobacco use in Native American culture. Teens Against Tobacco abUse helps tribal and urban Indian youth prevent the abuse of tobacco in their communities. For more information contact Yvette Avila.

In addition, the TATU program has also been adapted for Latino communities in Washington state. The adaptation incorporates the rich history of the Latino culture into a relevant tobacco prevention program for today's Latino youth. Some forms and activities have been translated into Spanish. For more information contact Cindy Thompson.

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How can I implement TATU in my community/school?

In order to implement TATU, your community/school needs to send interested adult program facilitator(s) to an all-day training sponsored by the American Lung Association® of Washington.

We would need commitments for:

• One or two adult program facilitators, and
• One school program coordinator that would be in direct communication with the American Lung Association® (this person can be one of the facilitators).

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Interested in becoming a TATU facilitator?

Fill out our registration form (for WA residents only) and a TATU coordinator from your region will contact you about the next training.

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What does the adult TATU facilitator's training involve?

The adult facilitator's training includes:

• One TATU facilitator's manual and program packet (per facilitator)
• Copies of the program evaluation component
• A Certificate of Completion
• Support from the American Lung Association® office during program implementation

The adult TATU facilitator's training covers the following topics:

• Tobacco 101
• How to recruit TATU peer educators
• How to manage the TATU program and TATU peer educators
• How to develop an action plan and market TATU to elementary schools and community groups
• How to evaluate the effectiveness of the TATU program

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What does the teen TATU facilitators training involve?

Using hands on activities and plenty of interaction with the other teens, this training is fun, busy and exciting. It prepares youth to create their own tobacco prevention presentation for elementary school children. They get to be as creative as they want - posters, raps, skits, videos, game shows, etc.!

The youth training workshop agenda includes:

1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Community Building
3. TATU Overview
4. Learning about your Audience
5. Risk Awareness
6. Video Time
7. Truth in Advertising
8. Using the Facts
9. Planning Presentations
10. Developing an Action Plan

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Upcoming TATU trainings:

Date Location Contact

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Become a TATU Coordinator

For more information please contact your local TATU coordinator:

Coordinator Distribution Map